Automatic jack for engine-boilers.



v Attorneys G. KENT,

AUTOMATIC JACK FOR ENGINE BOILERS,

APPLICATION FILED JULY so, 1909.

958,928, Patented May 24, 1910.

FUE- l Witnesses: Inventor,

CHARLES KENT, OF PEVENSEY, ONTARIO, CANADA.

AUTOMATIC JACK FOR ENGINE-BOITIERS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 24, 1910.

Application filed July 30, 1909. Serial No. 510,481.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES KENT, a subject of the King of Great Britain, residing at Pevensey, county of Muskoka, in the Province of Ontario, Canada, have invented certain new and useful Improvements l in Automatic Jacks for Engine-Boilers; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

The invention to be hereinafter described relates to fluid operated lifting jacks, and particularly7 to the general class of such devices as are used in raising or lowering the ends of traction engine boilers, and the like.

Broadly speaking, it comprises a cylinder and cooperating piston connected respectively to an engine boiler and to the forward axle or under-framing of a traction engine, or the like; means for supplying fluid to the cylinder; means for controlling the supply of fluid, and means for automatically operating the controlling means.

In order to more clearly disclose the con struction, operation and use of the invention, reference should be had to the accompanying drawings forming part of the present application.

Throughout the several figures of the drawings,like reference characters designate the same parts.

In the drawings: Figure 1 is a side elevation of a traction engine, showing the application of the invention; Fig. 2 is a front view of Fig. 1; and, Fig. 3 is a detail sectional view through the lifting cylinder, detached.

In order to more clearly illustrate the invention and its application, it will be described as used in combination with a common form of traction engine. To the front axle of the engine is secured the piston rod 1, carrying the head 2, which travels freely in a piston cylinder 3 secured to the under surface of the engine boiler. To the upper end of this cylinder is connected one end of a fluid supply pipe 4, the opposite end of the i e being connected to a tank 5, which may be filled by a suitable air pump, or the like. On each side of the approximate center of the pipe 4 is placed la valve. One of these valves 6 is adapted to open or close the pipe 4, as desired, while the other valve 7, in one position, allows passage of fluid through the pipe 4 to the cylinder 3, its second position establishing communication between the cylinder 3 and the atmosphere, through the pipe 4, and so acting as a relief valve for the cylinder.

The device as a whole is adapted to automatically maintain the level of the engine boiler. To that end, a gravity device has been provided for actuating the valves 6 and 7. This device comprises a lever 8, pivotally supported on the boiler at a point substantially midway between the valves,

rods 9 extending from the lever ends to the valve handlesv 10, and a pendulum bar 11 and weight- 12 depending from the center of the lever. Consequently, as the engine travels up grade, the pendulum will operate to close the valve 6 and open the valve 7, allowing escape of fluid from the cylinder 3 and lowering the forward end of the boiler. In going down grade, the valves 6 and 7 will both be moved to allow a clear passage through the pipe 4, while at the same time preventing escape of fluid from the cylinder 3 through the valve 7.

If at any time it is desired to lock the boiler in its position while the engine is on an incline, and so prevent strains on the valves, piping, cylinder and other parts of the apparatus, it is only necessary to insert the pin 13 in one of the perforations of the piston rod 1 and allow enough fluid to escape from the cylinder 3 to permit it to rest upon the pin. In many instances, the grades, though uniform, will be rough, resulting in jolting and jarring. A sudden Jolt, of course, will act to swing the pendulum rod and actua-te the valves 6 and 7, resulting in raising or lowering the end of the boiler when not desired. To avoid this, a locking device has been provided. This locking device comprises a rod 14 connected at one end to an upward extension 15 of the pendulum rod 11, and similarly connected, at its opposite end, to an arm of a hand lever 16, which may be held in various positions by engagement of its catch 17 with the notched arc plate 18. By engagement of the catch 17 with the arc plate 18, movement of the pendulum bar 11 is prevented, and consequent operation of the valves G and 7 is avoided.

It is clear that changes may be made in the construction, arrangement and disposition of the several parts of the invention, without in any way departing from the field and scope of the same, and it is meant to include all such within this application, wherein only a preferred form" has been disclosed.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:-

1. An automatic jack ofthe character described, comprising a cylinder, a piston mounted therein, a compressed air tank, a pipe connecting said tank and cylinder, and automatic means operated by variations in the position of an engine boiler and adapted to control the flow. of airthroughsaid pipe.

2. An automatic jack of the character described, comprising a cylinderfadapt-cd to be secured to the forward end of an engine boiler, a piston adapted to be secured to the running gear ofthe engine, a compressed air tank, a pipe connecting said cylinder and tank,valves mounted in said pipe and Vadapted to control the fiowof airfrom the tank tothe cylinder and from-the cylindervto the atmosphere, and pendulum operated means for-automatically -actuatingsaid valves to control the flowof air through said pipe andinaintain the'level of the Venginexboiler.l

3. An automatic jack of the character de-. scribed, comprising fa cylinderadaptedftobe securedto an engine boiler, a piston-adapted to be secured tothe running gear of the en-: air tank, 'a pipe connecteV cylinder, valves of airthrough` gine, a compressed ing said tank `and said adapted to control/the flow said pipe to said cylinder and through said pipe from said cylindertothe atmosphere, a lever for :actuating .said valves, and pendulum mechanism efor operating `-said lever.

4. An automatic jack comprising aicylin-. der adaptedto besecuredfto anengine boiler,

a piston mounted therein and adapted to be V.secured tothe running gear of the engine, a compressed air tank,`a Vpipe connecting said compressedair tank and said cylinder, valves iiow of compressed air for controlling the through said pipe, means for automatically operating said valves'as the level of the boiler changes, and means for locking said cylinder in its various positions.

5. An automatic jack of they character described, comprising a cylinder adapted to be secured to an engine bo1ler,'a.piston'mounted in said cylinder and adapted `to be secured to the Arunning. gear of said engine, a compressed airtank', a pipe connecting said compressedairtank andsaid cylinder, valves for controlling the flow of air through said pipe, penduluinmechanism for automatically operating said valves as the level ofthe boiler changes,vr andzmeans :for locking said pendulum mechanism in inoperative position.

6. An automaticjack comprising a cylinder adapted to.z be secu-red to an engine boiler, a pistonmounted insaid; cylinder and adapt` ed tobe secured to the running gear ofthe engine,a compr-essedair tank, a pipe connecting said compressed air tank y-and said cylinder, ,valves for controlling vthe `flow of fair through said pipe to saidcylinder and fromv .said cylinder through-said .pipe to the atmosphere, and means lfor v:automatically operatingl said valves simultaneously as :the level ofthegboile'r changes.

In witness ywhereof ZI Ihave hereunto set :my-.hand inthe presence oftwo witnesses.

D. R. MCLEAN, ARTHUR KENT. 

